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Uranus moons seen overtaking each other for first time
newscientist.com ^
| 5-18-2007
| Kelly Young
Posted on 05/18/2007 1:55:23 PM PDT by bedolido
For the first time, astronomers have glimpsed one of Uranus's 27 moons passing in front of one of its siblings – a fleeting alignment that can reveal information about the moons, such as their mass, that cannot be gleaned in any other way.
Researchers hope this will be the first in a bonanza of data returned from Uranus in the next year. That is because Uranus, which orbits the Sun every 84 years, is in an ideal geometry to view its moons. Such periods come around only once every 42 years, and the next will not occur until 2049.
This series of pictures illustrates how Uranus's moon Oberon passed in front of the moon Umbriel on 4 May. The gray areas are surfaces that have not yet been mapped. The southern portions were mapped by Voyager 2 in 1986 (Images: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
(Excerpt) Read more at space.newscientist.com ...
TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Astronomy; Miscellaneous; Science
KEYWORDS: each; moons; overtaking; uranus
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Did you know... on a clear night you can see uranus with your naked eye?
1
posted on
05/18/2007 1:55:24 PM PDT
by
bedolido
To: bedolido
All I want to know is why scientists are looking at Uranus?
2
posted on
05/18/2007 2:02:18 PM PDT
by
irishtenor
(Save the whales. Collect the whole set.)
To: irishtenor
All I want to know is why scientists are looking at Uranus? They want to map the bare spots.
3
posted on
05/18/2007 2:06:30 PM PDT
by
r9etb
To: irishtenor
All I want to know is why scientists are looking at Uranus?they have to look at one... so I guess it's Uranus.
4
posted on
05/18/2007 2:07:38 PM PDT
by
bedolido
(I can forgive you for killing my sons, but I cannot forgive you for forcing me to kill your sons)
To: bedolido
I don’t want to see any moons of Uranus.
To: bedolido
I hope they have a wide angle lens :>)
6
posted on
05/18/2007 2:27:49 PM PDT
by
irishtenor
(Save the whales. Collect the whole set.)
To: irishtenor
I hope they have a wide angle lens :>)the larger the mirror lens the more light can be let in, which in turn, will cause the mooning image to appear in greater detail.
7
posted on
05/18/2007 2:33:27 PM PDT
by
bedolido
(I can forgive you for killing my sons, but I cannot forgive you for forcing me to kill your sons)
To: RadioAstronomer
To: bedolido
They should stop looking at Uranus
9
posted on
05/18/2007 9:30:49 PM PDT
by
JRios1968
(This tagline brought to you by courtesy of Happygrl)
To: bedolido
Klingons racing around Uranus.
To: 75thOVI; AFPhys; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; Avoiding_Sulla; BenLurkin; Berosus; Brujo; ...
Figures two moons would be involved.
11
posted on
05/19/2007 9:40:31 PM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(Time heals all wounds, particularly when they're not yours. Profile updated May 18, 2007.)
To: irishtenor
All I want to know is why scientists are looking at Uranus?They are looking for Klingons.
12
posted on
05/19/2007 9:42:01 PM PDT
by
dfwgator
(The University of Florida - Still Championship U)
To: bedolido
Link ain’t working for me.
I wanted to see pictures.
13
posted on
05/20/2007 10:02:25 AM PDT
by
Eaker
(Free The Texas 3 - Ramos, Compean and Hernandez)
To: Eaker
Pictures of uranus? Use a mirror.
14
posted on
05/20/2007 10:10:59 AM PDT
by
patton
(19yrs ... only 4,981yrs to go ;))
To: patton
Take a picture with a mirror?
That sounds like crazy talk!
15
posted on
05/20/2007 11:16:56 AM PDT
by
Eaker
(Free The Texas 3 - Ramos, Compean and Hernandez)
To: SunkenCiv
Figures two moons would be involved.
Best post of the thread!
16
posted on
05/20/2007 11:18:38 AM PDT
by
GodBlessRonaldReagan
(Big dog, big dog, bow-wow-wow! We'll crush crime, now, now, now!)
To: Eaker
I can’t imagine how you can see both moons over uranus, without a mirror.
17
posted on
05/20/2007 11:19:21 AM PDT
by
patton
(19yrs ... only 4,981yrs to go ;))
To: patton
I am NOT going to ask where to put the film.
18
posted on
05/20/2007 11:23:28 AM PDT
by
Eaker
(Free The Texas 3 - Ramos, Compean and Hernandez)
To: Eaker
In the camera, or course.
LOL
19
posted on
05/20/2007 11:31:21 AM PDT
by
patton
(19yrs ... only 4,981yrs to go ;))
To: bedolido
Posting articles on Uranus only brings out the kindergarten crowd--better to say 'seventh planet'.
Anyway, thanks for the post--interesting stuff.
Someday humans will be living and working out there, if we don't blow ourselves up first which, at this point, is an even bet.
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